Courtesy The British Museum.

A group of divers has brought a snapshot of Bronze Age life to the surface after unearthing a group of 3,000-year-old artefacts at an ancient wreck site off the Devon coast.

Including swords, axe heads, a cauldron handle and a gold bracelet, the finds were discovered by members of the South West Maritime Archaeology Group (SWMAG) in summer 2004 and reported to English Heritage and the Receiver of Wreck.

"This is a very exciting find which shows the breadth of information which is available from shipwreck sites," explained Receiver of Wreck, Sophia Exelby.

Courtesy The British Museum.

"We are now working to ensure that these unusual artefacts are given a good home, where their historical value can be appreciated by everyone."

The members of SWMAG were diving under licence from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the shipwreck known as the Salcombe Cannon (c.1640).

Courtesy The British Museum.

In 1995 they had discovered gold coins at the site, but this time found evidence of a far older wreck.

"This exciting new discovery has really been a team effort," said a spokesperson for SWMAG, "and we are now working with the Receiver of Wreck and English Heritage to ensure that these important artefacts are put on permanent display to the public."

This new site falls within the protected area of the Salcombe Cannon shipwreck site, which is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

Courtesy The British Museum.

Altogether there are 56 historic wreck sites around the UK designated under the act. Among them are Holland No.5, the first British-built submarine launched in 1902 and sunk in 1912, the Mary Rose and HMS Colossus, one of Nelson's fleet wrecked in the Isles of Scilly. Under the terms of the act a licence is required to visit, survey, recover artefacts from, or excavate any of these sites and it is illegal to do so without one.

The finds are thought to date back to the 13th century BC and include swords, which are amongst the earliest found in north west Europe, rapiers, axes, tools and ornaments. Some of the objects are of north French origin and are of types, which are rare in this country.

Metal goods were traded right across Europe during the Bronze Age, but it is exceptional to find material in transit like this.

Courtesy The British Museum.

According to Stuart Needham, Curator of European Bronze Age collections at the British Museum, the story the artefacts can tell is of great significance.

"The evidence from Salcombe and other rare sites, such as that at Langdon Bay, help us to build up a picture of object movements, the organisation of trade and the character of seafaring," he said.

English Heritage and SWMAG are planning a research-led field season later this year to try to answer some of the questions about the site, which the collection of artefacts has raised.